Chapter Eleven The Castle of StoneThere was a chatter of excitement between the three for some time. Each child was grinning as they relived the experience, laughing at how Long panicked when his hands were stuck, pulling so hard he thought his hands would rip off from his arms. Akra made sure to add how brave he was, while Long exaggerated about the size of its eyes and the stench of its breath and how riding the dreadful beast came easy to him. Mai admitted they’d all been much braver than she’d ever expected. But their excitement soon dimmed as the winding path darkened and the trees became less like trees and more like skeletons.
The talk between them died down to nothing as they trudged up the steep path.
‘We should prepare ourselves for what we might find,’ Mai said.
Long removed
